At the International Conference of North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation NASCO held in Galicia, Spain, the President of FISSTA Mr Richard Behal told the meeting that the Irish Government has still not ended or commited to end the destructive practise of drfitnetting along our coat which last year killed over 180,000 wild Atlantic salmon.   The international delelgate of FISSTA was gave the conference an update on the main threats that still continue to jepoardise the recovery of the salmon stocks citing finfish farming and afforestation, but above all the interceptory netting season which over a six week period does more damage to salmon stocks than any other fishery in the North Atlantic


El Presidente de NASCO, Delegates, del mundo del salmon, Senoras, Sinores, Amigas, Amiigos.  

Whilst, fully supporting the Joint Statements of my fellow NGO’s, we in FISSTA believe that special emphasis must be made on the Irish interceptory net fishery. 

The Republic of Ireland has the unenviable  distinction of being the last Salmonid State which has not ended, or committed itself to end , this destructive practice.  
To their credit, Wales, England and the Northern Ireland have recently done so and the Republic of Ireland stands alone in the Salmonid world as a migratory mixed stock netting pariah.    Yes, they have made some token compensatory voluntary “set aside” of net licenses in a few estuaries of rivers earmarked for “Catchment Management” plans, which has created great anxiety for the future rights of angler club leases etc. 

Lack of money can no longer cited as a reason for the Minister for the Marine not seriously engaging and making a commitment with the North Atlantic Salmon Fund (NASF), who have proven so successful as honest brokers in other countries, in ending netting. 

Anglers have declared their willingness to financially contribute to such a buyout.  In initial surveys 75% of nets men are favourable to a buyout and 20% to a set aside programme. The Minister is also responsible for forestry and has announced £500million is available for tree planting, mostly of the coniferous variety which of themselves damage fish habitats.  

Other £millions are being committed to the salmon farming industry, which is planned to double or treble from the present 18,000 tonnes within a few years while the farmers themselves are seeking to exceed 100,000 tonnes.   Given the damage already inflicted upon sea trout and wild Atlantic salmon in Ireland by salmon farms one can only say woe upon woe.  

Surely a positive step would be to first bring the massive Irish drift netting to a just compensation closure.  Here in Spain on the river Tea one, as an Irishman,

is somewhat ashamed knowing that our State ìs still allowing the slaughter of not just our own salmon but those of other nations.  Indeed, it is certain that the very scarce salmon on the River Tea and the Iberian Peninsula generally are made even scarcer by the Irish interceptory nets.  

FISSTA received a plea from Association Protectrice du Saumon (APS) through and with support of the AIDSA another NASCO NGO, requesting us to incorporate in our statement the French organisations abhorrence as what is happening to their salmon off the Irish coast.

In their open letter APS indicate their outrage that despite all their expense and work on the River Allier, for instance, and that they have forbidden all salmon angling for 7 years on that river in order to improve stocks, that Irish nets undermine their efforts by killing some of their precious French salmon. 

Therefore, Mr President, FISSTA calls upon all the Contracting Parties to NASCO to use all their considerable influence to persuade, and above all, encourage the Irish Government and its Salmon Commission to grasp the historic occasion offered through the NASF initiative to end interceptory netting and join with the rest of the salmonid world on this issue to help protect and restore to abundance the wild Atlantic salmon stocks.    

DELIVERED BY FISSTA INTERNATIONAL  DELEGATE & PRESIDENT RICHARD BEHAL